Tax Advantages of Charitable Contributions 2013

Today is a great time to change a person’s life by making a gift to Hearts.

The IRA Charitable Rollover ends December 31, 2013.  If you are age 70 ½ or older, you can make a tax-free gift of up to $100,000 to Hearts via direct transfer from your IRA by December 31, 2013. If you don’t need your required mandatory IRA distribution, the charitable rollover is an excellent way to avoid taxes and make an immediate impact in the lives of people with special needs in Santa Barbara County.

Year-end is almost here which means the 2013 tax season is just around the corner. The changes resulting from the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) of 2012 includes a number of provisions that are favorable for philanthropy and charitable giving. Capital gains (long-term) taxes may be avoided through gifts of appreciated securities.

Thank you for your support of Hearts. Together, we can make a difference.Donate now to support Hearts. 

Hearts Joins Up With The Cancer Center

This year, Hearts teamed up with the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara to offer a six week riding program designed specifically for patients in recovery from Cancer.

The patients were given an opportunity to care for, lead, ride and bond with their assigned horses, with assistance as needed, in a safe and supportive environment.

The benefits of Therapeutic Riding for the cancer patients included:

· Respite from present home and hospital situation
· A renewed sense of hope
· An experience of life beyond treatment
· Improved physical strength
· Improved stamina
· Development of new friendships
· Learning about a new recreational activity
· Learning about a potential volunteer activity
· Encouragement from other cancer patients
· Something positive and new to talk about with family and friends
· A sense of personal empowerment

“I loved this so much! It is such a great program! It is a chance to feel good about skills learned and be able to connect with other cancer survivors. I am teary writing this”.

“If I can do this, I can do other things as well…”

“The program was extremely fun and gave me something to look forward to each week”.

“I’m grateful for having this opportunity. I will recommend it to anyone having the need or in a healing journey such as mine.”

We are now seeking funds to sponsor another class for cancer patients in January 2014. The scholarship fund for cancer patients has been named to honor one of the original class members who has since passed away. If you would like to contribute to the Catherine Swain Memorial Fund, click here.

Taking Care of Vets: A Hearts Testimonial

We're grateful to be able to share some of the stories about how Hearts has made a difference in people's lives:

"I have donated to the wounded warriors project for years and this year I chose to donate closer to home, as my daughter is a volunteer and rider in the hearts veteran program.  And I am so thankful we did; now my wife Ginger and I can see where the money goes and what Hearts is doing with it. I am glad to see that your group is taking care of the Vets as well as children in need. Ginger and I are so proud of our daughter, and can see how much her life is changing from her experiences at Heart's. We want to see our own "Wounded Warrior" keep benefiting from working and riding at Heart's and that's why we stopped donating to a federal veterans group like WWP and want to give to the place where our daughter benefits from our charitable donations."

Tim & Ginger McGraw, of Silverdale, WA.

Goodbye to Paula, Beloved Equine Therapist

Our sweet Norwegian Fjord mare, Paula, sadly passed away this month. A service was held recently at Hearts in her memory. You can download a coloring sheet below to help remember happy times with this special horse.

Meet An Exceptional Volunteer: Nancy Town

Nancy Town started volunteering in April of 2013.  While she did not have previous horse experience, she possessed a large appetite to learn as much as could about the horses.  This desire to acquire equine knowledge was largely from her warm, compassionate soul and her dedication to service.  It didn’t take her long to absorb all of the necessary skills to lead, groom, tack and tend to the horses.  Nancy has an innate intuition about all animals and she feels she was meant to have horses in her life.

Volunteer CJ describes Nancy as a hard act to follow: “if Nancy was moving, she was working.  Sometimes, when I was looking for her, I knew immediately where she was by the cloud of dust blowing from the corrals.  It was Nancy -- sweeping the boards inside the shade covers during breaks.  If she wasn’t cleaning stalls, you could find her scrubbing the water troughs, or raking the cross ties.  Whatever the task, she was always working hard”.

“Nancy is exceptionally compassionate towards ALL animals.  I remember one day, as we were walking towards the big arena and I had a rake in my hand.  Suddenly, a gopher popped out of his hole and I started to 'bonk' him on his head.  Nancy yelled, ‘Oh no, stop CJ, they're all God's creatures!’  Due to Nancy’s compassion, we have more gopher holes at Hearts than a piece of Swiss cheese”.

Sadly, Nancy has now moved to Bend, Oregon to be closer to her family, leaving a hole in all of our HEARTS.  Nancy embodied the enthusiasm, drive, and compassion we look for in volunteers.  She was an exceptional part of our organization and IS an exceptional woman.  We honor Nancy this month as our Volunteer of the Month and are sad to see her go.  We wish her the best of luck in her new adventure and are thrilled to know she will be volunteering in a Therapeutic Riding program in her new town.

Cheers, Nancy!

We will miss you.

Hearts Rider Schedule for 2014

Here is the Rider Schedule for 2014: Right-click on the image below to download

Hearts Welcomes Devon Sachey As Our New Program Director

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Devon Sachey as the new Program Director at Hearts. Devon will oversee all of our therapeutic horseback riding programs, including weekly lessons, summer and spring Horse Experience Camps, the Annual Student Horse Show, Horse Sponsor Trail Rides, and our new Mother’s Day and Father’s Day parent/child rides.

Devon is uniquely qualified to guide the continuing growth and development of the therapeutic riding programs at Hearts. She is particularly enthusiastic about working with “Horses for Heroes”, our specialty program to serve Veterans; many of whom suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of their military service.

Devon was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where her family owned and operated Raintree Ranch Equestrian Center. Devon grew up competing Eventing horses, instructing riding lessons and summer camps, and participating in the local Tecelote Pony Club. Shortly after high school, she served in the United States Marine Corps for 5 years, where she was commended for her superior performance as a Sergeant and flight mechanic on the KC-130 Aircraft. After earning a Bachelors Degree in Business Management and Marketing from Northwood University, Devon served as Interim Director and Riding Instructor at the YMCA Camp Carter Equestrian Center in Fort Worth, Texas and later as Operations & Marketing Director of Bardsley Products, Inc. in Santa Barbara.

Devon volunteered in the lesson program for a year before being selected to serve as the Program Director. Please join me in welcoming Devon to her new position. She has a great passion for horses and the people whose lives they touch. We are fortunate to have her on our staff.

Kirby Gillispie

Executive Director

Fall Educational Opportunities

Hearts is offering an exceptional series of educational workshops to increase your knowledge in all aspects of therapeutic riding.

Instructor Training Workshops

Presented by Sandy Webster, a PATH Master Instructor, this three part series will help you to expand your knowledge about therapeutic riding, learn new skills, stay up to date on industry practices and, if desired, prepare to become a PATH Certified Instructor.

DownloadBrochure

September 21 + 22, 2013 – 9 AM to 5 PM

October 5 + 6, 2013 – 9 AM to 5 PM
October 26 + 27, 2013 – 9 AM to 5 PM

Instructor Certification Opportunity

A PATH Registered OSWC (On-Site Workshop & Certification) will be hosted at Hearts.  This is an opportunity for fully prepared Instructor candidate to be tested and receive their certification.

 November 14-17, 2013
DownloadBrochure

 For more information or questions about educational opportunities please contact Nicola
nicola@heartsriding.org or 805-964-1519

Giving Wings To Dreams - The Annual Pegasus Luncheon 2013

An Invitation To Volunteer

You will be inspired and  delighted by this heart-warming event.  Friends, families, riders, volunteers, and supporters of Hearts will gather to celebrate this wonderful organization.  We will hear directly from a rider and a volunteer about the many ways that  Hearts has transformed their lives.  We will also unveil the new, 2013 Hearts Video! 

Wednesday, October 9th, 11:45am - 1:00pm
Warren Hall, Earl Warren Show Grounds

If you would like to attend this luncheon as a volunteer, or help with preparations beforehand, please contact Kirby Gillispie at 805-591-9792 or Kirby@HeartsRiding.org

“Town Hall Meetings” at Hearts

In conversations around the cross-ties, the barn, and horse stalls, riders and volunteers have expressed a desire for more information about Hearts, including our recent staff changes, our progress regarding the new facility, and our overall strategic direction.  Therefore, we are hosting two information meetings to discuss these and other topics of interest.

Please join us for  a “Town Hall Meeting”  in the Hearts Learning Center.  You can choose either date:

Wednesday, August 21st, 5:30-6:30pm

 

Friday, August 23rd, 5:30-6:30pm

We look forward to your attendance and to hearing your ideas and comments.

Volunteer Appreciation Party

With Hearts Summer camps in full swing and regular lessons ongoing, volunteers have been putting in a lot of extra time and effort. We sincerely appreciate your hard work, dedication, and commitment! As a way of thanking you for your outstanding contributions, Hearts is hosting  our annual Volunteer Appreciation Party - mid-September date & venue to be announced soon -- stay tuned!  Be ready for BBQ, fun, laughter, surprises, entertainment, a celebration of all your hard work, and as always, our heart-felt thanks!

Parks and Recreation offers a “Summer Horse Experience” at Hearts

This summer, Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation offered a special program called “Summer Horse Experience”, for children ages 8 to 18, in collaboration with Hearts.  This innovative collaboration gave 63 children the opportunity to groom, tack, ride, and bond with a horse while also enjoying horse-related games and craft activities. 

 A unique aspect of this horseback riding camp is that it brings together children who have special needs with their peers who do not have special needs.  The kids are all empowered equally by the experience of riding. They enjoy learning about the different breeds, strengths, and personalities of the horses, which translates into an appreciation for their own similarities and differences.

 The Summer Horse Experience was one of our most popular programs this summer, said Jason Bryan, Senior Recreation Supervisor at Parks and Recreation.  We have received very positive feedback from the campers, and look forward to offering this camp again next summer.

We are very proud of and grateful for the many volunteers who helped make this program possible.

Thank you for your enthusiasm, creativity, and caring.

 
 

Perfect Day in the Saddle Benefit Ride

A Perfect Day In The Saddle --
Benefit for Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center

Please join us for a very special equestrian event:
The Chamberlin Ranch Ride

June 7, 2013

7:30am-2:30pm

Santa Ynez, CA

Enjoy a hearty California ranch breakfast accompanied by live music.

Mount up for a relaxing horseback ride through the historic and spectacular Chamberlin Ranch. All horses will be provided by Los Padres Outfitters.

Return to wine tasting, a gourmet rancho lunch, live music and open bar.

A wonderful day to enjoy the best of California's central coast.

All funds raised will benefit Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center.

$1,500 per person.
Please RSVP Kirby Gillispie, Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center,
805-964-1519; kirby@HeartsRiding.org

Volunteer at Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center

Do you like horses?  Would you like to make a real difference in someone’s life?  If so, you’ll enjoy volunteering at Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center. At Hearts, volunteers do more than simply give their time. They change lives. They help people achieve important life goals.  They make lifelong friends in a community of fun-loving, energetic, people who are intent on making a difference. 

Volunteers assist riders with their weekly horseback riding lessons, groom and tack horses, help maintain our horse facility, assist with administrative tasks, and much, much more. 

We are looking for volunteers who are reliable and can commit to a regular weekly schedule.

If you’d like to contribute your talents to a great cause, we welcome you to join us!

Volunteer Orientation:  Wednesday, April 3^rd     5:30-7:30 PM

Introductory Training:    Saturday, April 6^th          1:30-3:30 PM

 

Register for Volunteer Orientation

On our website www.HeartsRiding.org or

E-mail                volunteers@HeartsRiding.org or

Call                    805-964-1519

 

 

Hearts Wins CIO Solutions Contest

We are very grateful to our many pro-active friends and supporters, who nominated and then voted for Hearts in the CIO Solutions Contest.  WE WON!!  Hearts will be provided with $200,000 worth of private IT services from CIO Solutions, one of the Tri-County’s largest IT companies.  This couldn’t have happened at a better time. Hearts is growing and upgrading many aspects of our operations. We really needed some help with our technology.  Thank you all!

Hearts Summer Horse Experiences

Hearts Summer Horse Camp offers a unique equine experience for kids, ages 8-16.  This inclusive camp pairs children with disabilities and their able-bodied peers to learn horseback riding and horsemanship skills.  Instructor to rider ratio is 6:1. Working together, children gain an appreciation for the ways they are similar to and different from each other. Riders will demonstrate their new skills for family and friends in a horseshow each week. http://www.heartsriding.org/programs/summer-horse-experience/

CAMP DATES & TIMES

Monday thru Friday - 9a-12 noon

-         July 15 to July 19, 2013

-         July 22 to July 26, 2013

-         July 29 to August 2, 2013

 

COST: $350 per week

AGE GROUP: 8 – 16 years old

 QUESTIONS: Phone: 805 964 1519             or            Email: nicola@heartsriding.org

Save The Dates!

Spring Term for Lessons         April 15th – June 29th

Hearts Horse Show                 June 2nd

Chamberlin Ranch Ride          June 7th

Hearts Partners With the Braille Institute

For the past two summers, Hearts has partnered with the Braille Institute to offer a summer horseback riding program for children and teens with visual impairments. In this innovative collaboration, funded by the Ann Jackson Family Foundation, Hearts and Braille teamed up to create a customized curriculum, designed to increase independence, confidence, and self-esteem in the riders.  “The students were amazing”, commented Instructor Gillian Kinnear. “After only the second day of riding, they were eager and ready to ride independently.  This opportunity was so special for them to feel capable and independent. They always left with a huge smile and returned with one too. Even those who were quite timid at first became proud and confident in the saddle by the end of the summer."

This April, with continued support from the Jackson Foundation, Hearts will offer a new class –this one for adults with visual impairments. We are looking forward to meeting a new group of students and watching them blossom. To enroll, please contact The Braille Institute of Santa Barbara at (805) 682-6222 or contact Hearts at (805) 964-1519.

Connie Weinsoff Heads Off, Down the Trail

Long-time staff member, Connie Weinsoff, has resigned from her position at Hearts to seek new adventures. Connie has been at Hearts since 1996, serving as an Instructor, Program Director, Executive Director, and Lesson Manager. During those years, she helped Hearts mature into one of the nation’s Premiere Therapeutic Riding Centers, with the highest level of accreditation available in the United States.  She also became an Advanced Level Instructor, certified by our professional Association, PATH, Int’l.  Connie has befriended hundreds of riders, staff members and volunteers during her years at Hearts.  We will miss her.

 

A letter from Connie

Dear Hearts Family,

After 17 years of putting my “heart” into Hearts, the time has come for me to seek some other, new and exciting challenges.  Hearts has grown so much during my time here and I am proud of what we have accomplished together over the years.

I immediately fell in love with therapeutic riding while working as a volunteer at another center over 20 years ago, and have been completely passionate about it ever since.  I feel fortunate to be part of this wonderful, life changing profession.

 I appreciate the many opportunities I have had at Hearts, as well as the inspiring riders, parents, staff, volunteers and, of course, the amazing horses, that I have come to know here.  I am excited about the future of Hearts.  I will miss you all, and will continue to be Heart’s biggest cheerleader.  

Sincerely,

Connie Weinsoff

A Good-bye Potluck

Sunday, April 21st 1:00-3:00 pm at Hearts

You are invited to a potluck lunch to honor Connie!

When:              Sunday, April 21st   1:00-3:00 pm

Where:            Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center (click here for directions)

What to Bring: 

©      A potluck dish to share, with serving utensils

©      A poem, song, photo, letter or other memorabilia for Connie

©      Wear your cow-dude hat and dancing boots!

Please RSVP to Nicola@HeartsRiding.org

 

Honorary Fund for Horse Care and Tack

Hearts has established a new Horse Care and Tack Fund in honor of Connie Weinsoff.  This fund will provide our horses with the best care possible, including tack that is safe, fits well, and is comfortable. If you would like to make a gift to the Horse Care and Tack Fund in Connie’s honor, you may do so on our website by clicking here.